Is Bottled Water Healthier Than Tap Water?

     One contributing factor to the popularity of bottled water is that people commonly believe

that bottled water is "healthier" than tap water.  Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), in particular, are important minerals we would want in our water. Death rates tend to be lower in areas with tap water containing higher levels of Ca and Mg. It has been shown that deficiencies in magnesium are capable of producing heart disturbances, including 215,000 fatal heart attacks in the U.S. each year, and as many as 20,000,000 fatal heart attacks worldwide!  

     However, sources say that few brands of bottled water offer a significant amount of minerals.

Below is a comparison of calcium and magnesium in bottled and tap water in a few major cities.

The numbers represented in this table are the percentages of FDA recommended daily intake per liter for adults.

Sources:  FDA; city water department; bottled water companies.

From these figures, it can be concluded that bottled and tap water can be equally "healthy" in terms of calcium and magnesium content, depending on where you live.

Different Types of Bottled Water

Mineral Water

is drawn from an underground source and contains at least 250 ppm of dissolved salts.  Whichever minerals are present are what make mineral water what it is.  Some minerals that may appear in mineral water include calcium, iron, and sodium.

Still Water

Still water is water without the "fizz" caused by gas bubbles.  Ordinary tap water and bottled water in larger containers are examples of still water.

Sparkling Water

is water which is carbonated (contains CO2, producing the "fizz").  It can either be naturally carbonated or mechanically carbonated in a process where CO2 is added to normal tap water.

Seltzer Water

is tap water that has been filtered and carbonated.  Club soda is seltzer water with added mineral salts.

Sterilized Water

is used to make baby formula and is also drunk by people with immuno-compromised systems.  It must be processed to meet FDA’s requirements for commercial sterility.

Distilled or De-Mineralized

is usually tap water that has been treated to remove nearly all minerals and sodium that occur naturally in water.

Purified Water

   Purified or reverse osmosis water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking purified water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time). Fasting using purified water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in purified water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.

     According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Purified" water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. The more purified water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes.

Key Diffenernces of FDA and EPA Rules for Tap vs Bottled Water

Is Bottled Water Safe?

     The Natural Resource Defense Coucnil (NRDC) conducted a four-year review of the bottled water industry and the safety standards that govern it, including a comparison of national bottled water rules with national tap water rules, and independent testing of over 1,000 bottles of water. The conclusion is that there is no assurance that just because water comes out of a bottle it is any cleaner or safer than water from the tap. And in fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle -- sometimes further treated, sometimes not.

     Most bottled water appears to be safe. Of the bottles tested by the NRDC, the majority proved to be high quality and relatively free of contaminants. The quality of some brands was spotty, however, and such products may pose a health risk, primarily for people with weakened immune systems (such as the frail elderly, some infants, transplant and cancer patients, or people with HIV/AIDS). About 22 percent of the brands tested by the NRDC contained, in at least one sample, chemical contaminants at levels above strict state health limits. If consumed over a long period of time, some of these contaminants could cause cancer or other health problems.